The present invention refers to an apparatus and a method for reshaping plastic preforms into plastic containers. Such apparatus and methods have long been known according to state-of-the-art technology. In this case usually what are known as plastic preforms are heated up before they are expanded into plastic containers in a heated state. This expansion is usually achieved by applying compressed air. The reshaping device usually features a plurality of blowing stations, wherein the individual blowing stations again have blow molds, within which the plastic preforms can be reshaped into plastic containers. Should a manufacturer wish to switch from one specific type of container to a different type of container, among other things the individual blow molds have to be exchanged.
Depending on certain reshaping processes, it is also necessary to replace certain handling parts for the heating device, such as holding mandrels for example, which hold the plastic preforms and shield panels or the like. Replacing these parts is a very complex process.
From the internal state-of-the-art of technology of the applicant it is therefore known to use changing robots for exchanging these handling parts. These changing robots can remove blow molds from their blow mold carriers and replace them with other blow molds. From the internal state-of-the-art of technology of the applicant, concepts for using several of these changing robots for exchanging handling parts with respect to the heating device or the oven respectively are also known. This procedure, however, is relatively expensive.
The purpose of the present invention is therefore to offer an apparatus and a method that is more efficient and especially more cost-effective than other state-of-the-art apparatus.